Support for cylindrical vessels



Sept. 7, 1937. w. R. KEPLER 2,092,165

SUPPORT FOR CYLINDRICAL VESSELS Filed June 8, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1.

INVENTOR. WilLiamRKe Zer -%ZQM ATTORNEY.

p 7, '1937- v w. R. KEPLER 2,092,165

SUPPORT FOR CYLINDRICAL VESSELS Filed June 8, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

' William R.Kepler ATTORNEY.

W R KEPLER SUPPORT FOR CYLINDRICAL VESSELS Filed June 8, 1935 lllllm ,n'

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Patented Sept. 7, 1937 SUPPORT FOR 'GYLINDRIOA'L vassats William R. Kepler, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignor to A. 0. Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation-of New York Application Juno 8,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to supports for vessels and more specifically to supports for vitreous 1 enameled vessels of the horizontal cylindrical .ty An object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective means of Supporting vessels oi the type indicated.

Vessels used for the storage and aging of beer are often of relatively thin wall, but large diameter and length. Vitreous enamel in many instances is applied to the inside surface of such vessels to protect the beer against contact with the metal. I

It is an object of this invention to provide supports attached to said vesselwhich not only are satisfactory for carrying the vessel and its contents after completion of the vessel, but also serve for. supporting the vessel during the heatin operation for the firing of the vitreous enamel linin i M It .is. af'urtherobject of the invention to provide a support for a vessel which, by welding to the .vessel, will facilitate the firing of said vessel and enarneilining without injury to said enamel during heating or cooling.

1 [Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reference to the accompanying drawings and specification.

Figural isa side elevational view of a storage vessel embodying the present invention; Fig. 2is an enlarged end elevation of the vessel' shownin Figure l, a part being brokenaway;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the vessel supports;

Fig. '4 is an end elevational view of a' vessel in which the supports suspend the vessel;

Fig.5 is a side elevational view of one of the supports shown in Fig}; and i Fig. 6 is a side elevation or a vessel represented as mounted in afurnace for heatingand fusing a vitreous enamel lining.

It isimportant that in connection with vessels for liquid storage, and other purposesinwhich vitreous .enamel liners are employed, that the f'm'etal of the vessel bejdefiected as little as possible and bestrained substantially uniformly throughout the enameled regions. At least it is desirable that the strains in thevessel shall nowhere become excessive either during enameling or during use of the vessel subsequent to enameling. Excessive deflection or straining of the vessel in the region of the enamel may cause the latter to craze or fiake off the vessel.

It has been found that. in supporting a vessel of the type above indicated, the least deflection 1935, Serial No. 25,585

of the vessel parts is obtained by supporting it on four supports, as illustrated in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, i 0 represents a horizontally disposed cylindrical vessel for the storage of liquids or other contents. Vessel ID has a cylindrical shell portion II, and closed end portions l2 and I3. Heads l2 and ii are shown as dished heads butt welded to cylindrical portion H on lines l4 and l5respectively.

Vessels of the type aboveillustratedarefre quently of dimensions in excess of 11 feet in diameter and 40 feet in length with platethicknesses as low as.%, inch. The invention, however, applies as'wellto smaller vessels.

In Figs. 1 and 2, four vessel supports it are shown arranged two at each head. An enlarged view of one of these'supports is shown in Fig. 3 in which i1. is a plate or fin edge-welded to the vessel head along the line of the so-called knee or knuckle'of said head and positioned to support the vessel near the ends of the horizontal diameters of these lines of jolnder between the head contour and the cylindrical portion of the vessel. A stiffening plate flange I8 is provided for said fin plate. A seat plate or block I9 is welded to fin I1 and flange i8, as shown. A brace 20 is welded between seat plate l9 and fin ll (shown in Figs. 1 and 2). A'relatively long plate 2| is extended between fin plate l1 and'the vessel wall II. This plate is edgewise welded to said vessel wall and is preferably substantially cut away adjacent to fin plate H as at 22. ,The weld- I ing of plate ii to the vessel wall is thus along a longitudinal element of said shell, but at a position removed from the supporting'fin plate'i'l located at the knuckle position of the head.

of said vessel and edgewise welded thereto and to the plate 2| remote from the supporting iln plate Il. It is preferable to cut away the central portion of the inner edge of plate 28 so'that it is edgewlse welded to the vessel circumference in lines removed from plate 2| as at points A flat plate 23 is arranged circumferentially,

24. Plate 23 isalso welded to plate 2| at posi Fig. 6 illustrates a vessel I I! mounted on supports IS in a furnace 26. The vessel supports at one end of the vessel rest on. fixed members in the furnace as at 21, and at the other end on trucks 28 movable in the direction of expansion of the vessel. Said trucks are arranged to move on rollers 29.

Every precaution is taken to have these truck supports move with as little resistance as possible. However, appreciable force is nevertheless transmitted through the supports ii to cause trucks 28 to move.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a vessel in which supports, similar to those above described, are employed to support the vessel by suspension. Like parts have been numbered with the same numerals as their corresponding parts in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In the firing of the enamel for a vessel, such as that of Figs. 4 and 5, the heating and firing is preferably done in the position illustrated in Fig. 6. After the completion of this operation, a fitting 30, to receive a supporting nut 3|, is welded to the support l6. In suspension, an adjusting rod 32 is then threaded into nut 3| and another nut 33, contained in bracket 34, attached to the supporting structure 35.

The structure of the supports and their members, as above explained, transmits necessary forces and heats up uniformly so that the enamel is uniformly fused and the vessel subjected to such minimum deflection or strain as not to injure the enamel upon cooling.

By weldingthe variousmembers of the supports to the vessel wall in edgewise relation, and

by employing members properly proportioned with respect to the thickness of the vessel wall, the heat for fusing the enamel is permitted to uniformly heat the vessel walls and thereby prevent differences in temperature due to heat conduction to or from said vessel by said attached plates. It is preferred to have the weld-attached plates of substantially the same or slightly greater thickness than the vessel wall to which they are attached.

The plate 2| supports fin l1 against bending by carrying a support back into the vessel wall. Plate 23 is attached to plate 2| and carries the force applied by it to a circumferential line of the vessel, and secures thereby an arch portion, by means of which'fin I1 is supported against bending. By cutting away the inner center portion of plate 23 and attaching it to the vessel at points removed from said center, there is obtained a certain freedom between the edgewise attachments of plate 2| and those of plate 23 to the vessel wall. This entire structure functions as an emcient support and makes it possible to apply an enamel coat on the inside of the vessel and fire the same and subsequently cool the vessel with no injury to said enamel.

The supports, as above described, also adequately support the finished vessel in filled condition and protect it against injury either to itself or its applied lining of vitreous enamel.

It is to beunderstood that the embodiments of the invention disclosed in the drawings are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting the invention as expressed in the appended joined at an angle to said fin plate and edgewelded to the wall of said vessel along a longitudinally spaced portion thereof, and a circumferentially disposed plate near the end of said second plate and secured thereto and edgewelded to said vessel wall in a circumferential line thereof.

2. In combination with a horizontally positioned thin-walled vitreous enameled vessel having a cylindrical bodyportion and head portions meeting said body portion at an angle in circumferential meeting lines, transverse supporting plates edge-welded to'said vessel along said meeting lines and extending therealong from positions near the extremities of the horizontal diameters of said vessel, said plates having substantially-the same thicknesses as the portions of the vessel to which they are joined.

3. In combination, a thin-walled horizontally disposed cylindrical vessel having head'portions meeting the cylindrical body portion at an.an gle in circumferential meeting lines, fin-supporting plates attached to said vessel along said lines near the extremities of the horizontal diameters thereof, and means connecting said fin plates to said vessel walls laterally of said plates to prevent the buckling and/or bending of said plates, said plates and said means being attached to said vessel by edgewise welding.

4. In combination with a vitreous enamel-lined thin-walled vessel of horizontal cylindrical construction, fiat supports for said vessel edgewise attached to said vessel at approximately-the outer horizontal meeting points of the cylindrical portion of said vessel and the end closures thereof, members extending laterally of said fiat supports WILLIAM R. KEPLER. 

